Thai fruits -mix

Fruit forms a large part of the Thai diet and are customarily served after a meal. Although many of the exotic fruits of Thailand may have been sometimes unavailable in Western countries, many Asian markets import such fruits as rambutan and lychees. In Thailand one can find papaya, jackfruit, mango, mangosteen, langsat, longan, pomelo, pineapple, rose apples, durian and other native fruits. Chantaburi in Thailand each year holds the World Durian Festival in early May. This single province is responsible for half of the durian production of Thailand and a quarter of the world production. Apples, grapes, pears and strawberries, which do not traditionally grow in Thailand, have become increasingly popular in recent years now they are being grown locally in the cooler highlands and mountains of Thailand, mainly in the North. The fruit of the tamarind is used for its tartness, and palm sugar, made from the sugary sap of the date palm, is used to sweeten dishes. From the coconut palm comes coconut sugar, coconut vinegar, and coconut milk. The juice of a green coconut can be served as a drink and the young flesh can be eaten.